The facts about Prostate Cancer
Fact: Each year, around 27,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK, making it the most common cancer in men.
Fact: Prostate cancer kills one man every hour.
Fact: Prostate Cancer is most common in men over 50. Men from families with a history of prostate cancer are at higher risk than normal.
Fact: If prostate cancer is diagnosed early, it can be treated very successfully. However, when the cancer is advanced, it becomes very difficult to cure.
Fact: All men over 50 should be aware of the warning signs.
What is the prostate?
The prostate is a small gland located underneath the bladder in men. It is shaped like a doughnut and fits around the tube (called the urethra) which carries urine out of the bladder. The prostate produces the fluid that mixes with sperm when a man ejaculates.
What is prostate cancer and who is most at risk?
A prostate tumour is a lump created by an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells. It can either be malignant (cancerous) or benign. In most cases, we do not know the cause of prostate cancer. Exposure to high levels of radiation is one known cause, but this only accounts for a tiny proportion of cases. Between 5% and 10% of cases is genetic, where the probability of prostate cancer increases by 2-3 times if a close relative has already been diagnosed. Also, if females in your family have had breast cancer, an inherited faulty gene may be present which may increase the risk of the men in that family getting prostate cancer. Studies have found that African-Caribbeans are at highest risk whereas Asians are at lower risk. In addition, diet, particularly western diets, which tend to be high in saturated fats, have also been linked to an increased risk.
What are the main symptoms to look out for?
- difficulty passing urine or inability to urinate
- passing urine often (particularly at night)
- weak or interrupted urine flow
- pain when urinating
- blood in the urine
- Pain in the lower back, hips and upper thighs.
However, all of these symptoms can also be caused by other conditions such as benign prostate enlargement. Men with any of these symptoms should consult their doctor.
How can the doctor screen for prostate cancer?
A digital rectal examination (DRE) is an examination of your prostate. Your doctor will insert a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum and feel your prostate through the wall of your rectum. If there is prostate cancer it may feel harder than usual, or knobbly.
A PSA blood test will test the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in a sample of your blood. PSA is a chemical which is made by both normal and cancerous prostate cells. If you have an abnormally high level of PSA, prostate cancer is a possibility. However, a high PSA score does not always indicate cancer and can be caused by other prostate diseases.
In a prostate biopsy, your doctor will surgically remove a small piece of tissue using a needle. The sample will be sent to a laboratory for examination to find out if it is a tumour and how fast it is growing.
CT (computerised axial tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and bone scans can help your doctor see how far the cancer has spread (if at all). A bone scan involves injecting a small amount of radioactive liquid into your vein. This can show if the cancer has spread to the bone.
Can diet help prevent prostate cancer?
Your diet can go a long way towards helping to prevent prostate cancer. Cases of prostate cancer are more common in westernised countries where saturated fat is more prevalent in the day to day diet. Incidences of prostate cancer have risen within eastern countries as they started to become more ‘westernised’ which is a marked correlation between the number of cases of prostate cancer and obesity. The main culprits are thought to be dairy produce and red meat, such as beef, lamb and pork which are said to increase the risk of prostate cancer as they contain high levels of fat.
Therefore, making sure you have a healthy diet and keeping your intake of fat in check, can help to prevent/decrease the risk of prostate cancer. As an added bonus, reducing your consumption of fat can also decrease the risk of other cancers, as well as diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Other studies have suggested that a diet high in tomatoes, Vitamin E and cruciform vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts) was associated with a decreased risk of aggressive prostate cancer. It has been found that a weekly serving of cauliflower was associated with 52% decreased risk of aggressive disease and similar amounts of broccoli cut the risk by 45%.
It is also widely accepted that consuming plenty of fruit and vegetables can help to prevent cancers because they contain antioxidants. Hence, it is recommended that we eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables every day.
In addition, selenium can also reduce your risk. Studies have shown that men who took 200 microgrammes of selenium each day substantially reduced their risk of prostate cancer.
A further study at Wake Forest University of Medicine found that mice on a diet high in omega-3 fish oils had a 60 per cent survival rate from prostate cancer compared to only ten per cent of those on a low omega-3 diet survived.
What preventative measures can I take?
Cut down on red meats, especially processed forms and consume oily fish.
Avoid fatty foods, particularly those high in saturated fat.
Include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your day to day diet.
Try to maintain a healthy weight for your height.
Take selenium supplements.
Is there a cure for prostate cancer?
In 50% of patients, cancer is detected at an early stage therefore treatment is successful for nine out of ten of these cases. The other half of the patients are not diagnosed until the cancer is advanced and has spread. Treatment can give these patients several extra years of life and stop the pain of the disease, but cannot normally cure them.
What are the treatment options?
Treatment options which may be considered include: watchful waiting (no active treatment), surgery, radiotherapy, hormone treatment, and less commonly, chemotherapy. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments is recommended. The treatments used depend on:
- The cancer itself - its size and stage (whether it has spread), the grade of the cancer cells, the PSA level, AND
- The man with the cancer - your age, your general health, and personal preferences for treatment.
For example, certain types of prostate cancer are confined to the prostate, are slow growing and are unlikely to affect your life expectancy. Some types are more aggressive, more likely to spread and may cause serious illness and lead to death unless treated. The risks and possible side-effects of treatment are another consideration.
You should have a full discussion with a specialist who knows your case. They will be able to give the pros and cons, likely success rate, possible side effects, and other details about the various possible treatment options for your type of cancer.
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